The present invention relates to fences made from plants and, in particular, it concerns a method for producing ready-to-plant live fence units.
It is known to use hedges of various types of plants as fences or barriers. Hedges are generally considered more attractive than artificial fences, while functioning effectively as a barrier to people and large animals, and affording privacy from onlookers.
In spite of these advantages, the use of hedges has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, a newly planted hedge may take a number of years to grow sufficiently to be effective as a barrier. During this period, an alternative barrier must be erected. This leads to additional expense, and frequently results in an unsightly interim arrangement.
It is possible to produce a hedge more quickly by transplanting a number of previously grown plants into a row. Such a procedure is very labor intensive, and therefore expensive. Furthermore, extensive care is required subsequently to ensure that the plants grow into the shape of hedge required.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,947 to Greenarch et al. discloses a V-shaped crate which is intended to facilitate transplanting of a number of plants growing in a row. This reduces the labor of the initial transplantation of plants to form a hedge. However, considerable labor is still required to dissemble all the crates used. Furthermore, the subsequent upkeep required to cultivate the hedge, as well as the time taken for it to grow to the required dimensions, is still a major deterrent to extensive use of hedging.
In the field of ornamental, and especially indoor, cut-flower, and outdoor plants, it is known to use chemical pruning agents to produce a more densely branched structure. Examples of chemical pruning agents include organic fatty acids and organic methyl esters, such as dimethyl sulfoxide.
There is therefore a need for a commercially viable method for producing ready-to-plant live fence units which are easily planted to provide an instant live fence of required dimensions.